How can a public governmental body, its members and employees demonstrate they have acted in compliance with the Sunshine Law?
Under Section 610.027.2, once a party seeking judicial enforcement of the Sunshine Law has established the entity involved is a public governmental body and has held a closed meeting, record or vote, the burden is on the body and its members to demonstrate compliance with the Sunshine Law. To avoid penalties, the public governmental body should strictly comply with the Sunshine Law — and carefully record its compliance. Thus, for example, the public governmental body should maintain in its records the notices of meetings posted in accordance with Section 610.020. Its minutes should reflect the reasons why a meeting was held on less than 24 hours’ notice or at a time or place that was not reasonably convenient and accessible to the public (Section 610.020.3). The minutes should also include the vote of each member of a public governmental body to close a meeting, vote or record and the specific statutory exception relied upon to close (Section 610.022.1). And during a closed session, co
Related Questions
- Does the Sunshine Law apply to luncheon meetings of members of a public governmental body where public business is discussed?
- Who can bring an action charging a public governmental body or its members with a violation of the Sunshine Law?
- What other remedies exist when a public governmental body or its members violate the Sunshine Law?
